Proverb Expansion
The literal meaning of the proverb is that the food that is agreeable to one many may not be agreeable with other man. The hidden meaning of this statement is that what is beneficial to one person is harmful to another, what is liked by one person is disliked by another. This is because views, interests and attitudes vary from man to man, from place to place and from country to country. People vary in their needs and tastes. What is luxury for one may be necessity for another. For example, there are some people who are fond of liquors whereas there are many others who have a violent dislike for them. If a backward country not knowing the art of handling an atom bomb were to buy from a developed country, it would be inviting its own disaster. The atom bomb may be meat to a developed country, but poison to a backward country. A country with surplus man power is advised to prefer small-scale industries for industrial progress, while a country lacking man power is advised to prefer machines. Machines may be meat for an under-populated country and poison for over-populated country. What one likes and loves very much may be disliked and hated by others. This is because men are different tastes and needs.